The undergraduate degree student in Chemistry and member of the Universitat de València judo team, Luis Barroso, won the bronze medal in the -60 kg category after beating judokas from the University of Szeged (Hungary), Brno (Czech Republic) and Leipzig (Germany), until he lost in the semi-finals to the representative of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) in an exciting battle.
 
"I arrived in Lodz with a positive mentality, I knew it was going to be a tough competition but I was confident that I had a chance of winning the medals," says the UV judoka. "The first three matches I won with confidence, in the semi-final I came up short, and in the fight for the bronze I went out confident and eager to take the medal, which I did knocking down the German in the last seconds and taking the bronze," explains Luis. "It has been an experience that I will never forget and that I have enjoyed with great enthusiasm. I hope to be able to repeat this experience in the future", says the young chemistry student, who has just finished his first year of his degree.

The judo team from the Universitat de València, led by Vicente Rochela, competed on the tatami against the best European university students in this sport. In the -66 category, Guillermo Caprani finished in 20th place after suffering an injury at the start of the competition. Aitor Goicoechea (-73 kg) placed 13th and Juan David Gadea (-73 kg) 17th. In the women's competition, in the -48 kg category, Laura Torregrosa finished 5th. 

The UV kickboxing fighter Kevin Koffi, of French father and Valencian mother, has won the silver medal at the European University Games. At the age of 24, this young student from Utiel combines his training and kickboxing competitions with his studies at the Teacher Training. Under the guidance of his coach Patrik Pascal, he has made a great competition in the Kick Light -84kg category. 

Kevin easily overcame the fighters from the universities of Bern (Switzerland) and Budapest (Hungary), and fought for the gold in a very close final, in which Kevin suffered a big toe injury, which prevented him from fighting for the victory at 100%. The Universitat de València kickboxer finished in a creditable second place, runner-up in the European University Games.

The UV chess players José Joaquín Fernández and Adrián Galiana, following the guidelines of their coach Ramón García, have represented the Universitat de València at the European University Games in Lodz, where they have achieved the 11th position in the Blitz tournament and the 16th in rapid, both in the team category. In individual, Adrián finished 16th and José Joaquín 26th. "We are happy with the experience, although the results have not been entirely satisfactory. This team does not give up and we will come back next year to try to repeat the successes of the CADU —Regional University Sports Championships— and the CEU —Spanish University Championships—".

UV volleyball players have given their all at the European University Games in Lodz. Under the coaching of Juan José Susin, assistant coach Marina Linares, and with the support of physio Javier Piqueras, both teams have done a great job in Lodz. The women's team finished the championship in 13th position, and the men's team in 8th. 

"The girls had a difficult start", says the captain of the women's volleyball team, Alba Pérez, "in the group phase we were up against two very strong teams, Croatia and Hungary. Finishing first in the group meant playing for the first 6 places, second in the group for 7-12, and third in the group for 13-18. In our case we went on to play for the 13-18 places and ended up in 13th position, which means that we only lost two matches (perhaps the most decisive of the competition) and that leaves us with a bittersweet taste because we believe that, perhaps, with a bit more luck in the draw, we could have obtained a better position", explains the 5th year medical student.

On the other hand, the start of the championship was very different for the boys, according to Guillem García, captain of the men's volleyball team, "the feelings of the competition have been very good, especially at the beginning because we started by winning the first two matches. In the following matches we struggled to find our game, but even so, I am very happy for the overall performance of the team on this tournament", explains the third year student of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

But regardless of the result, "on a sporting level it is a great opportunity to measure yourself against players from all over Europe. It has been a great opportunity to live this experience, the intensity of the experience is very strong and the bonds that you create are unforgettable", says Alba. "We feel very fortunate and grateful to have been able to experience all this, because we know what it means for the University to send us to Lodz, and that is why we have tried to make the most of the experience," adds the medical student.

"The fact that we were the team of boys and girls together was a positive thing, and also the fact that we were there with other universities and we all lived together... the truth is that it was a wonderful experience," says Guillem. "I really liked the good atmosphere during the whole tournament, both on and off the field. It was a great experience that I will always remember, I hope there will be many more and that we can take part in them", adds the player.

Both captains agree that one of the most magical and unforgettable moments of the Games was the opening ceremony "what none of us will ever forget was the entrance to the opening ceremony, for many, the closest thing to an Olympic Games that we are going to be", jokes the volleyball player. 

Handball, taekwondo, karate, climbing and taekwondo competition begins 

The European University Games in Lodz, organised by the EUSA -European University Sports Association-, conclude on July 30th and the Universitat de València still has the opportunity to increase its medal tally in 4 sports disciplines. The men's and women's handball teams have been fighting for medals since Monday 25th and, until Saturday 30th, they will cross paths with the best European university teams, which they will try to beat in order to get as far as possible in the championship. The last competitions to be held are Climbing, Taekwondo and Karate, which will be held from July 28th to 30th

Do you want to know more about our athletes and their medal chances? 

•    Read the profile of UV karateka Hugo Ballester: Samurai's road to the European University Games in Lodz
•    Read the coverage of the UV handball teams: María Cervera, handball captain: "The games in Lodz are going to be tough, but we're going to fight and give everything on the field"
•    Read the UV taekwondist's profile Neus Domenech: “Taekwondo has taught me discipline, now I am working on my confidence for the Lodz Games”
•    Read the UV climber's profile Iker Ortiz: "In Lodz I would like to find a climbing wall with overhangs for more physical climbing"

You can also follow the Lodz games live on their YouTube channel

More information about the European University Games on the UVEsports website

Visit the official website of the Lodz games